Where has gone the hustle and bustle of my city? What has happened to the life I was used to seeing around since the day I born? Certainly, something went wrong as something unusual is prevailing there.
A day before today, we all were super excited for the year 2020. Fireworks, laughter, and the happy crowd were everywhere, but in a blink, it all disappeared leaving stillness behind.
Surprisingly, “life surprises you the most when you least expect it” as we all were drunken into the idea that how we are secure more than ever and that we’ve figured out the life, the universe, and the systems. The wake-up call came and we’ve been hit harder than ever with no remedies whatsoever.
It’s crazy how fast everything we know has changed overnight. Now, the entire world is in chaos. Humanity is going through the hell of a tragedy. It’s not only the immune system which is collapsing but pretty much everything: money, freedom, education, entertainment, and the entire world.
Right now, we all are going through this phase on varying levels, but there is one common thing that we all share: fear of uncertainty.
So, the question right now is how to get through this corona craze without losing our brain? It’s now more important than ever to actively choose peace over panic, though it’s easier said than done to eliminate fear, worry, and negativity when we’re continuously getting dragged into it.
Nonetheless, Abdu Sharkawy, a doctor and expert at the University of Toronto in Canada, warned that mass panic about the coronavirus could do more damage than the disease itself. We need to stay calm as much as possible not to make this situation any worse than it already is.
The number one thing you can do to improve your mental health in this tough time is to choose a few credible media sources to intake information and only access those sources once a day.
Since hopping on to the news website every ten minutes to check the latest update will not change anything, but it will make you more anxious. There is a plethora of evidence to show that excessive exposure to media causes more panic and fear.
Getting continuous information “is helpful when it influences what you would do,” says Alice Boyes, author of “The Anxiety Toolkit,” “but at the moment, most of us are doing all the things we can do.” Washing our hands, staying six feet away from others, practicing social distancing. “When you’re already doing all you can do,” she says, “there’s not much additional benefit” in seeking extra information.
Secondly, it is not the time to accuse yourself of not being productive as we all are going through a tough time. So, it’s completely okay to sit back and let your mind breathe for a while. Don’t let social media make you believe that you are not using all the “extra time” effectively. “It’s tough enough to be productive in the best of times let alone when we’re in a global crisis,” says Chris Bailey, a productivity consultant.
To be honest this immense urge to overachieve, even in the time of global crises is reflective of our “busy for the sake of being busy” mindset which is a modern-day obsession and somehow we are still feeling obliged to participate in “Do more” culture which is just to make tough time even tougher.
The best way to not get trapped into this is to acknowledge your feelings and emotions and allow yourself to get things done at your own pace which will help you to function better.
Thirdly, the human mind has a natural tendency to focus on negative things and right now most of the things happening around us are increasing the level of negativity even more. It’s more important than ever to actively practice gratitude every once in a while. As an old saying goes, “it’s good to look on the bright side of life. It’s a call for us to remain optimistic in the wake of difficulties.”
Every time you think about something that gets delayed or went wrong due to coronavirus, try to replace those thoughts immediately and think about the things you still have. Also, think about other people whose suffering is greater than yours and that is easy to do right now.
We sure are facing trouble and there is no harm to feel bad about it but thinking about the people going through worse than you will help you to move your emotions towards empathy rather than negativity.
Even though things might not look ideal right now but we still have so many things to be grateful for, Life, family, and health.
I am allowing myself to find a ray of hope and I think you should do this too. Let’s hope together to see better days with a newfound appreciation for the small things that add joy in our everyday life and make us feel alive.
